Let’s start our discussion for today by addressing a pertinent question –What is an official language?

An official language is a language that is given a special status in a particular country, state or any jurisdiction. If you go by the dictionary meaning, it is the language that is approved by the government, taught in schools and used in legal and official documents. It need not typically be the language that is used by the people of the country.

Some countries have more than one official language, whereas there are others that do not have any official language. Adopting an official language has its pros and cons.

It helps in promoting literacy

As the official language is used in schools, it helps promote literacy among the people of a country.

Also, as this is the language of official and legal documents, people with knowledge of the official language can easily handle their personal activities in government offices.

Better social and economic mobility

Literacy in a common language helps in better economic development as an individual is no more restricted to a linguistic community but can find opportunities across the country.

It also helps in dissolving social hierarchies which can play a crucial role in dissolving social differences and creating equal opportunities for everyone.

It saves money for the government

An official language can eliminate or reduce the need for translation and interpretation to a large extent as most people have knowledge about this language and can thus save money for the governments on these services.

People in multilingual countries can acquire all the benefits of learning a second or a third language

People living in multilingual countries usually learn their native language and the official language. This allows them to get all the advantages of being bilingual or even multilingual. Travel to a new location, better career prospects and better cognitive abilities are just a few of the many benefits of being bilingual or multilingual.

Now let us look at some of the cons of an official language

It may lead to marginalization and discrimination

Though it is believed that an official language can lead to better opportunities and social assimilation, there are others who also opine that use of just one or two official languages can lead to the marginalization of minority languages. This can further lead to discrimination against people who are not well versed with the official language.

It may lead to loss of local language and its associated culture

Too much emphasis on learning an official language may cause people to move away from their native or local language which is closely associated with their culture. This can have an adverse effect in the long run as many countries are an amalgamation of diverse cultures and languages.

Official languages are used by most governments for convenience and ease of governance.

If you live in a multilingual country where there are one or more official languages used, you are probably on the way to becoming bilingual or multilingual as you learn both your native language and the official language. This can help you grow personally and can indirectly help in the country’s growth in a broader perspective.

If you are interested in joining the government services or would like to serve the public, learning the official language can be of great help and importance.

You can easily learn a language online. Just book a demo session and decide for yourself as most language learning platforms like Multibhashi offer a first free demo session.